Yudhoyono Gets Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior Invite

Greenpeace has invited President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to board its new Rainbow Warrior ship at the upcoming UN environmental meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

At the presidential office in Jakarta on Thursday, Yudhoyono met with executives from the international environmental advocacy group, including Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace Asia executive director Von Hernandez and Nur Hidayati, head of the Greenpeace Indonesia office.

Naidoo told a press conference after the meeting that the invitation was in light of the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio De Janeiro from June 20-22.

Despite Greenpeace’s often critical stance on the Indonesian government’s environmental record, including a one-year-old deforestation moratorium that critics have lambasted as poorly enforced, Naidoo praised the nation on Thursday for its “commitment” to environmental issues.

“Indonesia has shown its commitment not only to environmental issues but also to encouraging synergy between the economic and environmental sectors and poverty reduction,” Naidoo said.

“The results of my discussion with the president show that economic growth, environmental protection and poverty reduction can go together,” he added.

Naidoo further said Greenpeace had extended an invitation to Yudhoyono to board its new Rainbow Warrior ship, which will be christened on the sidelines of the Rio summit.

He added that the third Rainbow Warrior was scheduled to visit Indonesia next year. The first Rainbow Warrior was bombed in 1985, while the second was retired in August of last year.

Naidoo did not say, however, whether Yudhoyono accepted the invitation.

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